Improvement in can-seaming machines



W. HANDY. Gan-Seaming Machine.

No. 198,106. Patented Dec. 11,1877.

Ziyi

N. PETERS, PHDTO-LITHUGRAPHER, ISHANGTON' D C.y

UNITED STATEsPATENT OFFICE;

WILLIAM HANDY, `OF BROOKLYN,'NW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAN- SEAMING` MACHINES.

Specification `forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,106, dated December l] 1877; application iiled November 15, 18:77. l

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I,"'\7V1LLI.1 \.M HANDY, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of N ew York, `have invented certain Improve ments in Oan-Seaming Machines, of which the followingis a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

- This invention relates to machines for closing the bottom and top seams or joints of sheet-metal cans of square form, or more especially that description of said cans in which the ends of the body of the can are iiared outward for reception within the turned-over edges of the top or bottom of the can, which turned-over edges are closed on the Haring ends of the body of thecan by roller-pressure.

The invention .consists in certain combinations of devices, whereby increased facility is afforded for entering the can within the machine, for keeping the body of the can andits top or end plate in proper contact while the latter is being closed over the body, for seaming or closing simultaneously and by a restricted movement, which economizestime, all of the joints around the several sides of the can at the end of the latter, and for enabling the machine to be kept running by steam or other power during a continuance of the work on any number of cans in succession.

Figure l represents a plan of a machine con structed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 a vertical section of the same.

A represents the frame of the machine, which frame may be of any suitable construction, and carries a four or many sided table, B, that, in its marginal configuration, corresponds with the flaring end of the body b of the can, and on or by which the bottom c, or

it might be the top of the can, rests, and is.

held in position to receive within its turnedup edges the flaring end of the bodyv of the can, as represented in Fig. 2. I

C is a horizontally-oscillating spur-wheel, having its bearing on a fixed concentric socket, D, beneath the table B. This wheel may be either oscillated by hand, or automatically by steam or other power through a lever, E. Said wheel is arranged to gear with a series of racks, Gr, corresponding to the number of the l l the turned-up edges of the bottom c of' the can over the flaring end of its body b, when the guides I are forced inward toward the sides of the table B, and the slides H are moved longitudinally along the guides.

To facilitate the placing of the body of the can and. its entry within the bottom thereof, prior to closing the joint bybendin g theturnedup edges of the bottom of the can over the iiaring end of its body, the several guides I, carrying the slides H, with their attached j ointclosing rollers J, are simultaneously adjusted away from the sides of the table B-as, for instance,'by a spring, j', acting on a treadle, K, which is connected by a stem, L, with bellcranks g, attached to the several guides I. This provides for the seating of the end or bottom c of the can on the table B, :and for holding it in position with its turned-up edges ready for reception within them of the flaring end of the body b, after which the operator t applies his foot to the treadle K, to work the several guides I inward relatively to the sides of the table B, and to bring the rollers J up against the turned-up edges of the bottom c. The slides H, with their attached rollers J, are then reciprocated to and fro by means of the wheel C in reverse directions simultaneously on opposite sides, respectively, of the table B, or, in other words, in a like. course around the can, one slide following the otherI during each reciprocating action of the wheel C. This closes the seams or joints on the ends of the can on all sides of the latter simultaneously, and all the requisite pressure on the seam is obtain ed byl or through the treadle K, i11- creased force applied to said treadle giving increased pressure on the seam.

The horizontallyoscillating wheel C may sides of the can, and arranged to correspond I have a constant motion imparted to it, in

the wheel C.

The stroke of the slides H may be adjusted by vchanging a tooth of the gearing, that is, ot' the wheel C with vthe several racks G, respectively-to cause the rollers J to run over and beyond the corners of the can, or only to run up to said corners, as desired. Again, eachslide H may be made to carry duplicate rollers J J, arranged one in advance of the other a distance equal to one-half of the width or diameter of the can, or thereabout, as shown in the drawings, whereby each of said rollers will close the seam or joint of one-half of the width of the can on each side of the latter, thus reducing the reciprocating stroke of the slides H one-half, and economizing time proportionatelyT in closing the seam or joint. If necessary each of said slides may carry more than two rollers, arranged one in advance of the other, to still further econoinize time and wear of the parts.

I claim- 1. The combination, with a many-sided table constructed to receive the top or bottom of the can over it, of a series of slides corresponding in number and arrangement with the sides of the table, and provided with seam-closin g rollers, said slides being adjustable in or out rel- @tively to the sides 0f the table, and being inade to reciprocate in like courses simultanegusly around the table, substantially as speci- 2. The combination, with a many-sided table constructed to receive the top or bottom of the can over it, of a series of reciprocatingslides, each provided with two or morev seam-closing rollers, arranged one in advance of the other, relatively to the sides of the table, essentially as described.

3. The combination of the oscillating spurwheel C, the many-sided table B, the guides I, adjustable in or out relatively to the sides A of said table, the slides H, carried by said guides, the racks G, attached to the slides H, and lone or more closing-rollers, J, carried by each of said slides, substantially as specied.

4. The combination, with the table B and the guides I, carrying the slides H, with their attached seam-closing rollers, of the treadle K and mechanism connecting said treadle with said guides, for adjusting the latter in or out relatively to the sides of the table, and for,

regulating theroller-pressure on the seam, es-

' sentially as described.

WM. HANDY.

.Witnesses EDWARD B. SPERRY, FRED. HAYNEs. 

